The Fall Of The Roman Empire
EVER WONDERED WHY THE ROMAN EMPIRE FELL? Find out in this podcast from British historian, Nick Holmes, as he tells the extraordinary story of Rome's decline and fall, and how its legacy is still central to the world we live in today. WANT A FREE EBOOK? Then head directly to Nick's website www.nickholmesauthor.com.
Episodes
136 episodes
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 126 "Eirene: The Monstrous Empress of Byzantium?"
In this episode, we’ll hear about one of the most chilling rulers of Byzantium – the empress Eirene. She was Byzantium’s only empress to take on the reins of government in a sole capacity. Her reign is controversial because she took sole power ...
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Season 1
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Episode 126
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24:53
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 125 "The Forgotten Heroes of Byzantium"
In the first half of the eighth century, Byzantium stemmed the Arab advance into Europe. Critical to this achievement were two emperors: Leo III and Constantine V. In this episode, I explain why I think these two men were heroes of the Dark Age...
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Season 1
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Episode 125
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24:10
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 124 "Byzantium: The Empire That Refused To Die"
In this episode we turn east to consider Byzantium. We last spoke about the eastern Romans, or the Byzantines, in episode 113 when I described the emperor Leo III’s victory in the winter of 717/718 over an immense Umayyad army and navy intent o...
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Season 1
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Episode 124
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21:46
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 123 "The Holy Roman Empire"
The final political legacy of the Roman Empire in western Europe was the Holy Roman Empire. Amazingly, this curious political institution lasted until Napoleon abolished it in 1806. In the eighteenth century, the French political ph...
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Season 1
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Episode 123
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26:04
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 122 "The Vikings"
The Vikings transformed European history, impacted the worlds of both Byzantium and the Abbasid Caliphate, and even, some 500 years before Christopher Columbus, discovered North America. In this episode, I want to look at how and wh...
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Season 1
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Episode 122
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25:57
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 121 "The Fall of the Frankish Empire"
Charlemagne created the largest empire in western Europe since the Romans. But it didn’t last. Within only a few decades of his death, it had broken up and one half of it was fighting for its survival against a new and terrifying enemy from the...
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Episode 121
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25:43
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 120 "Charlemagne's Empire"
In this and the next episode, I want to look beyond the legend of Charlemagne to find the real man and his achievements and failings. His legend has made him into a symbol of power and authority as well as a figurehead for the cause of European...
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Season 1
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Episode 120
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24:29
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 119 "The Rise of the Carolingians"
In this episode, we explore how the Carolingians rose to become the dynasty that would claim to be the inheritors of Rome.
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Season 1
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Episode 119
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25:06
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 118 "The Battle of Tours, AD 732"
In this episode, I’m going to focus on one of the most famous battles in history: the battle of Tours, or Poitiers as it’s sometimes called, in 732. It’s famous because some historians think it stopped the Arabs from conquering Europe. But othe...
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Season 1
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Episode 118
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24:30
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 117 "The Slow Death of the Merovingians"
In modern France, the Frankish king, Clovis, is often celebrated as the first French king. But Clovis’ Merovingian dynasty was in fact destined to fade and die. In its place, there arose a new dynasty that would become more famous: the Caroling...
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Season 1
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Episode 117
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23:36
BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT - 'The End of Antiquity' Book 5 in The Fall of the Roman Empire
I wanted to let you know that my latest book, The End of Antiquity, is now available in both paperback and ebook on Amazon and will be available through most major book retailers soon.It explores the final days of the Roman and ...
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2:21
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 116 "Clovis, King of the Franks"
By the year AD 719, the Arab/Berber army had conquered Iberia and was invading Gaul or what is modern France. They seemed unstoppable. Would western Europe fall to Islam? And would the Qu’ran be taught in the schools of Oxford, as Edward Gibbon...
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Season 1
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Episode 116
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26:28
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 115 "Arabs and Visigoths"
So, we’re starting the final season in this podcast which is on the Dark Ages. But just how dark were they? One of the main themes of this new season will be to show the striking diversity of experience within western Eurasia and North Africa d...
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Season 1
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Episode 115
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26:56
UPDATE ON NEXT SEASON - THE DARK AGES
Apologies for the long radio silence, I’ve been busy with other projects but now I want to update you on the next and final season in this podcast which I’m super excited about because it will cover what I regard as one of the most fascinating ...
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4:10
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 114 "The Missing Link"
Why did Arabia rise so rapidly in the seventh century AD to become the dominant global superpower? In this episode, we look at a fascinating new theory.
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Season 1
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Episode 114
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22:11
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 113 "Byzantium's Greatest Victory"
The Arab siege of Constantinople in 717/718 was one of the greatest turning points in all of history. Discover why in this episode.
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Season 1
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Episode 113
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24:15
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 112 "Greek Fire"
In the first half of the seventh century AD, the rise of Islam seemed unstoppable. How could Byzantium survive? Luck and the invention of a medieval flame-thrower would help!
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Season 1
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Episode 112
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26:58
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 111 "The Fall of Egypt"
Roman Egypt was not only the Roman Empire's wealthiest province, it was also one of the earliest bastions of Christianity. Therefore, its rapid fall to the armies of Islam has long baffled historians. Discover the surprising story of how divisi...
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Season 1
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Episode 111
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25:16
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 110 "Green Arabia"
In this episode, we look at climate history and ask whether the rise of Islam was helped by more favorable climatic conditions during the Late Antique Little Ice Age?
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Season 1
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Episode 110
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21:33
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 109 "Climate, Plague and Catastrophe"
In this episode, we revisit the 'Late Antique Little Ice Age' and the Justinianic Plague, and consider whether these contributed to the rise of Islam in the seventh century AD.
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Season 1
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Episode 109
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22:43
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 108 "The Last of the Sasanians"
After defeating the Romans at the Battle of Yarmuk in 636, the first Islamic Caliphate turned its attention to Persia. The fighting there would be even more decisive than against the Romans.
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Season 1
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Episode 108
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20:29
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 107 "The Battle of Yarmuk: Rome's Greatest Defeat"
In August 636, near the Yarmuk river in modern-day Syria/Jordan, a battle was fought between the new Islamic Caliphate and the Roman Empire that would change the course of history.
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Season 1
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Episode 107
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21:57
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 106 "Muhammad's Revolution"
As Rome and Persia fought the last war of antiquity, they scarcely noticed a revolution was taking place in Arabia. A revolution led by a man named Muhammad.
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Season 1
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Episode 106
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24:13